Hardware Token Manager for Secure Network Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network client authentication methods, such as those using static and dynamic secrets, are vulnerable to fraudulent activities due to ease of compromise, and existing asymmetric key infrastructure solutions are weakened by password theft from rogue software.
Innovation Solution
A method and system utilizing a hardware token manager that generates a credential from a parent digital certificate, incorporating data from a hardware token, and establishing a mutually-authenticated encrypted communication channel with a server, ensuring the credential's validity and security through asymmetric encryption key pairs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If static secrets (passwords) are used for authentication, then the authentication process is simple and easy to implement, but the security is compromised because passwords are easy to guess or get written down
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/password-based authentication system with a hardware token-based system using public/private key cryptography. The hardware token generates credentials cryptographically without requiring users to memorize or write down passwords, eliminating the security weaknesses of static secrets while maintaining operational simplicity through automatic credential generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hardware token as an intermediary device between the user and the authentication system. This token contains embedded public/private key pairs and automatically manages credential generation and transmission, serving as a secure mediator that eliminates the need for users to directly handle sensitive authentication data.
2Reliability
If dynamic secrets (OTPs) are used for authentication, then the security protection from fraudulent activity is improved, but the security is compromised if the portable authenticator is lost or stolen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric cryptography with public/private key pairs where the private key remains securely stored in the hardware token and never leaves the device. Only the public key and derived credentials are transmitted externally. This asymmetric approach ensures that even if the token is lost, the private key cannot be extracted, and the credentials can be revoked and reissued without compromising the core cryptographic security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary binding of the public key to the user's identity and account during an initial setup phase. This allows the system to pre-configure authentication credentials and establish trust relationships before any potential token loss occurs, enabling rapid revocation and reissuance of credentials while maintaining security.
3Reliability
If public/private asymmetric key infrastructure is used for authentication, then the security is improved, but the security is reduced because the password protecting the private key can be stolen by rogue software
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the private key from the software environment and embeds it in a dedicated hardware token. This physical separation removes the private key from the vulnerable software layer where rogue programs could intercept passwords, while maintaining the cryptographic functionality needed for secure authentication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a hardware token with a protected environment (analogous to a secure shell or container) that isolates the private key from external access. This hardware boundary acts as a protective barrier that software-based password protection cannot provide, preventing rogue software from stealing the private key or its protecting password.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of establishing a communication channel between a network client and a computer server over a network is described. The network client may be configured to communicate with the computer server over the network and to communicate with a token manager. The token manager may be configured with a parent digital certificate that is associated with the token manager. The token manager or network client generates a credential from the parent digital certificate, and transmits the credential to the computer server. The credential may be associated with the computer server. The network client may establish the communications channel with the computer server in accordance with an outcome of a determination of validity of the credential by the computer server.